| *
Update from the Field
Dear Buffalo Friends,
Snow has been falling practically non-stop here along
the western edges of Yellowstone this week. The grasses
the buffalo need to eat are buried under at least five
feet of winter's white mantle. In some areas, especially
along the river bluffs, the drifts are deeper still.
These are hard times in the land of the last wild buffalo.
Thank you to everyone who took last-minute action last
week and sent comments to the National Park Service
regarding their report to the World Heritage Committee.
In 1995, Yellowstone National Park, a World Heritage
Site, had been declared "in danger" due, in
part, to threats to wild bison. In 2003, the Park was
removed from the "in danger" list because
of the "considerable efforts" made by the
Park to address these threats. Ironically, the Park
claims success with the initiation of the infamous Interagency
Bison Management Plan, a joint federal-state scheme
which exclusively benefits the interests of Montana's
cattle producers. In the report, tactics such as Montana's
bison hunt, quarantine, vaccination, and continued hazing,
capture and slaughter, were actually deemed positive
actions by the Park. The government is so good at spinning
the horrors they initiate in attempts to make the public
believe what they are doing is beneficial. Thank you
for your participation in helping draw attention to
their lies.
For more information on the report, please visit http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/worldheritage.html.
As to the hunt, the blood continues to spill. Since
last week's update, sixteen wild buffalo have been killed
by state and tribal hunters, bringing the total as of
the time of this writing to 86. It is barely February
and we've already lost nearly 100 wild buffalo. All
but three of the buffalo killed this week have been
taken along Yellowstone's western boundary. The Salish-Kootenai
hunt is due to end today. The Nez Perce just started
their hunt over the weekend, and likely will continue
through mid-March. The state hunt will end on February
15.
As we've mentioned, the Montana Department of Livestock
and the National Park Service have stated numerous times
that come February 16, the day after Montana's bison
hunt ends, they will begin hazing, capturing, and slaughtering
in an aggressive manner. It will be quite interesting
to see how these nefarious activities play out while
the Nez Perce are conducting their treaty hunt. A showdown
of enormous proportions could commence. But the ones
who continuously suffer the games of man are the buffalo.
Along the park's western boundary there is no excuse
for the Department of Livestock to engage in bison mismanagement.
There are no cattle for them to "protect."
The entirety of the Horse Butte Peninsula, a favorite
landscape of wild buffalo, is completely cattle-free
at all times of year now. The Interagency Bison Management
Plan is supposed to be "adaptive" and change
with new circumstances and information. Thus far, the
only adaptations the agencies have made add up to more
killing and invasive mismanagement; nothing that benefits
wild bison or their native habitat. We will need your
help in the coming weeks and months to make concerted
efforts to protect the Horse Butte Peninsula as year-round
habitat for wild buffalo in Montana.
This past week in Gardiner we saw no hazes of wild buffalo
from the National Park Service, but there was a lot
of bison activity inside the town itself. On Saturday,
patrols saw the killing of three bull bison in the hunt
zone adjacent to the Eagle Creek Campground. One state
tag was filled with the help of local outfitters, and
the other two males were killed by Nez Perce tribal
members. The remainder of the week boded well for the
North Yellowstone herds, with one group moving from
the football field to the park and back, avoiding harassment
by park rangers. Another group has made a constant presence
on the Chatman conservation easement and the Mormon
Church, traveling back and forth against the sustained
winds and cold weather.
This week in Gardiner ends with a cow/calf group of
over 20 back in one of the danger zones. A smaller group
of 14 has been grazing next to the Yellowstone River
in east Gardiner. Of noteworthy mention, we witnessed
over 20 eagles (bald and golden) performing pre-mating
rituals above the town. The scene was incredible with
the eagles literally dancing flirtatiously many hundreds
of feet up. We were also blessed to be in the presence
of 50-plus bighorn sheep and the elk also had quite
a presence in the hills east of Gardiner, with over
200 counted on one clear, crisp morning.
That is our report for the week from both front-lines
camps. Many thanks to all of you who remain in solidarity
with us, for the buffalo.
Roam Free,
~Stephany, Nate, Jessie, Frankie Colors, Stan and Anathema
------------------------------
* Photo of the Week
http://gallery.buffalofieldcampaign.org/v/photo_of_the_week/2008-01-31.html
A frigid, moonlit morning along the Madison River, looking
west towards a small group of buffalo and the direction
of Horse Butte. Photo by Jesse, the Merlyn of BFC.
------------------------------
* Last Words
"This carefully crafted consensus-based [Interagency
Bison Management] plan has now been successfully implemented
for seven years. While many people in the local and
national conservation community do not support the plan,
in the last five years the core Yellowstone bison population
has been sustained between 3,000 and 5,000 animals,
which are historic high levels for the population. In
addition, the plan addresses each of the major issues
regarding the risk of brucellosis transmission from
bison to livestock. highlights include: For the first
time ever, non-infected bison captured at the boundary
(winter 2003-2004) were vaccinated against the disease
and released back into the park instead of being destroyed.
This effort continues to date. An Environmental Impact
Study concerning the remote vaccination of interior
herds was officially begun in 2004, and continues to
be developed. In the past two years, 104 bison calves
were removed from the population at the park boundary
and placed in a research facility to devise a protocol
that will allow APHIS to certify disease-free bison
from Yellowstone to be used for starting new populations
on other public lands, which would ultimately serve
to enhance the long-term conservation interests of the
species. In the winter of 2005-2006 the State of Montana
initiated a "fair-chase" bison hunting season
adjacent to the park. Discussions and research continue
to consider additional ways to eventually eliminate
brucellosis from wildlife in the Greater Yellowstone
Area while maintaining wild and free roaming wildlife
herds."
~ Yellowstone National Park report to the World Heritage
Committee, Status of key issues, January 2008
Top
of Page
|
